Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-05-26
UNKNOWN DEAD.

Dedication at HopkfnsviIIe. Ky. of the
Beautiful Tribute to His Unknown Dead
Comrades ofthe Confederate Army Erect
ed by John @. Latham, of New York-The
Monument and Its Inscriptions.
HoPKINsvILLE, KY, May 20-The dedi
cation of the monument donated by Mr..
John G. Latham, of New York, to the
memory ofthe unknown Confederate dead
| in the cemetery at Hopkinsville, took
place at noon yesterday. The ceremonies
were elaborate and imposing. A holiday
had been declared, and every street and
alley, every business house and resi-
dence was decorated. A large num-
Der of distinguished visitors were present
from this and adjoining States. Governor
Taylor of Tennessee and staff, the Her.
mitage Club from Nashville, Governor
Knott, General s. B. Buckner. Secretary
of State Mckenzie, Auditor Hewitt, At
torney-General Hardin, Colonel Brecken-
ridge and Collector Cox, of Kentucky, and
many other distinguished persons were
among them.
There were fully six thousand people
around the monument when the exercises
began.
The first grafton was by Hon. Jas.
Breathitt, presenting the monument to
the city. Hon. w. G. P. Breckenridge fol-
lowed in an eloquent tribute to the Con-
federate soldier, and Rev. DR.. Chas.
Deems, of New York spoke of the lesson
of the war. Mr.. Latham sent the follow
ing letter from New York:
NEW YORK. May H.
To the President and Members of the Board Of
Council Of the City of Ho pkinsuslle, KY:
GENTLEMEN-I sincerely regret that. owing to
demands on my time of business engagements
requiring personal attention, 1t is impossible
for me to be present at the unvailing of the Con-
81 TryS.s-
work which undertook in tribute to the un-
known dead is finished. What was but an ideal
purpose in my beginning. has, by your help de-
veloped into an acknowledged fact. The obe-
lisks of old are marked by strange hieroglyph-
les that hide the motives Of their construction
in mystery. On the monument which you to-
day unvail is chisled in plain type the explana-
ton OF its object and the sentiment of its erec-
ton. In its construction have been sus-
tanned by several thoughts. First OF all have
felt safe from the suspicion of selfshness be-
cause it was memorial to the unknown dead.
Secondly. have felt perfect confidence in the
sympathy of all true women and brave men,
believing that they would recognize in the
tomb deserved tribute to all of heroism that
could die. Thirdly have rejoiced in the OPP
portunity it gave me to do honor to the memory
Of my comrades in arms, who left their homes
and lost their lives for conscience sake And
finally, have felt that this memorial shaft
would beautify the city OF the dead. in which
my father sleeps, and that the martial spirits
of the dead soldiers beneath it would stand
guard about his grave.
The letter concludes with expressions
of pleasure at being able to have this OPP
portunity, and adds:
In now formally turning over the monument
to you as the official guardians of the city Of
Hopkinsvi1le, beg to say that every expense
incident to the construction has been met, and
to assure you that of the total cost there
remains not one dollar unpaid. I have also
made such an Endorsement provision as will
yield sufficient income to keep the monument
and grounds in perfect order for all time to
come.
He also adds his regrets that the re-
moval of the Federal dead to the National
cemetery at Fort Donelson prevented the
joint dedication of the monument to their
memory.
THE MONUMENT.
The following description Of the monu-
ment will be of in terest: The base of the
structure is eight feet three inches
square, supporting a pedestal of two pol
ished stones, with intaglio border, the
upper stone projecting. On the southern
face, in raised panel, appear in bold
letters: